If you do not have time for an overnight soak, use the hot-soak method for dried legumes. Put them in a pot with plenty of water, bring it to a boil, and boil for a few minutes; then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let them rest for one hour. During this time, the legumes swell almost as much as they would with an overnight soak. Then drain, rinse the legumes, and continue cooking in fresh water.
The classic method is to soak dried legumes in cold water for eight to twelve hours. This gives them time to absorb water slowly and soften evenly. But if you did not prepare them the night before, you may not have that much time. The hot-soak method does the same job with the help of heat, in much less time; heat speeds up the movement of water molecules into the legumes. That is why the quick method is seen as a practical way to make up for not planning ahead. In a kitchen where you know this quick method, dried legumes do not have to drop off the daily menu.
Here is the order. Put the sorted and rinsed legumes in a large pot and add enough water to cover them by a few finger-widths. Put the pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Once it boils, keep the legumes at a gentle boil for a few minutes; the goal at this stage is not to cook them, but to use heat to open up the skins. Be generous with the water, because the legumes swell noticeably during this time and absorb some of it. Choose a large pot too, because foam that rises during boiling can easily spill over in a narrow pot.
Then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the legumes rest in the hot water for one hour; as the temperature slowly drops, they continue to absorb water. At the end, you will see that the legumes have swollen noticeably and their skins are taut. Split 1 grain in half and check it; the soaking is complete if there is no dry center inside. Move the pot off the burner and set it on the counter; a pot left on a hot burner will continue cooking.
From this point on, the steps are the same as for an overnight soak. Drain the water, rinse the legumes in a colander, and return them to the pot with fresh water. If you are cooking dried beans, the rule to bring them to a full boil in this fresh water for at least 10 minutes applies here too; quick soaking does not replace this step. Then continue with the recipe as usual. Pick off and discard any pieces of skin that rise to the surface while rinsing. Use the same step for chickpeas; although the boiling rule is not as critical for chickpeas as it is for beans, their skins will soften more evenly.
Know the method’s limitations too. A hot soak gives a result close to an overnight soak, but not exactly the same; very old legumes may not swell enough, and their cooking time may still be long. Their skins may also split a little more. If you have time, cold soaking is preferable; the hot method is a shortcut and should be used as one. Whichever method you use, sort the legumes first; stones and spoiled pieces can turn up in any batch. Do not spend time on legumes that are clearly very old; set that batch aside for another use.
Comments (4)
Bir gece beklemeyi unuttuğum akşamlar için birebir. Kaynatıp bir saat bekletmek gerçekten işi görüyor.
Hızlı ıslatmada nohudun kabuğu daha çok ayrılıyor gibi geldi bana, klasik yöntemde bu kadar olmuyordu. Kaynatma sırasında taneler birbirine çarpıyor herhâlde. Yine de acele edilen akşamlarda tercih ediyorum, kabuk meselesi humus yapacaksam zaten sorun olmuyor.
Islatma suyunu döküp yeni suyla pişirmek şart mı, yoksa aynı suda devam edilebilir mi?
Dökmek daha iyi. Islatma suyuna tanelerden çözünen şekerler geçiyor ve gaz yapan kısmın bir bölümü o suda kalıyor. Yeni suyla pişirmek hem tadı hem sindirimi daha rahat kılıyor.